Monday, August 15, 2005

FORMER MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETE CHRISTINA SCHERWIN PLACES FOURTH IN JAVELIN AT WORLD TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

HELSINKI, FINLAND --- Former Moravian College student-athlete Christina Scherwin (Copenhagen, Denmark) set a new personal best and a Danish national record with a throw of 63.43 meters (208 feet, one inch) to place fourth in the javelin at the 2005 World Track & Field Championships on Sunday.

Scherwin, who graduated from Moravian in 2004 after competing for her native Denmark in the 2004 Olympics, surpassed her previous best of 61.72 meters (202 feet, five inches), which she posted back on July 30th at the 2005 Danish National Championships. This was Scherwin’s first appearance in the finals at the World Track & Field Championships.

A two-time NCAA Division III National Champion in the javelin for the Greyhounds, Scherwin entered the World Championships 17th in the latest world rankings released on August 1st and having won the Danish National Championship the last four years.

Osleidys Menedez of Cuba won the World Championship with a new world record throw of 71.70 meters (235 feet, three inches).

Scherwin’s throw was the 25th farthest in the world in 2005. 21 of the top 24 throws this year have been by Menedez, Christina Obergföll of Germany and Steffi Nerius of Germany, who finished first, second and third at the World Championships. The other three throws are by Sonia Bisset of Cuba, who placed seventh at the World Championships.